Combination Heatsink and Battery Heater for Electronic Devices

ABSTRACT

Some embodiments provide a novel method for harnessing the heat generated by one or more components (e.g., a set of IR LEDs) of an A/V recording and communication device in order to manage the temperature of one or more batteries of the A/V recording and communication device. Some aspects of the present embodiments raise the temperature of the battery in a cold weather without requiring any additional electrical power (e.g., without consuming any additional power for heating up the battery). In one aspect of the present embodiments, a thermally conductive sheet is coupled to a printed circuit board to which one or more IR LEDs are coupled. The thermally conductive sheet transfers the waste heat generated by the IR LEDs of the A/V recording and communication device to a rechargeable battery of the device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 15/471,176, filedon Mar. 28, 2017, which claims priority to provisional application Ser.No. 62/319,758, filed on Apr. 7, 2016. The entire contents of thepriority applications are hereby incorporated by reference as if fullyset forth.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present embodiments relate to electronic devices, such asaudio/video (A/V) recording and communication devices that includerechargeable batteries, and techniques for counteracting the negativeimpact of cold temperatures on such rechargeable batteries.

BACKGROUND

Home safety is a concern for many homeowners and renters. Those seekingto protect or monitor their homes often wish to have video and audiocommunications with visitors, for example, those visiting an externaldoor or entryway. Audio/Video (A/V) recording and communication devices,such as doorbells, provide this functionality, and can also aid in crimedetection and prevention. For example, audio and/or video captured by anA/V recording and communication device can be uploaded to the cloud andrecorded on a remote server. Subsequent review of the A/V footage canaid law enforcement in capturing perpetrators of home burglaries andother crimes. Further, the presence of one or more A/V recording andcommunication devices on the exterior of a home, such as a doorbell unitat the entrance to the home, acts as a powerful deterrent againstwould-be burglars.

Many A/V recording and communication devices are powered by one or morerechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Li-ion batteries are alsowidely used in many different types of electronic devices, such aslaptop computers, tablet computers, cellular telephones, etc. Whilecommercial grade Li-ion batteries have many desirable properties, suchas high energy density, and relatively small size and weight, they alsohave drawbacks. One drawback is their performance characteristics at lowtemperatures, such as below freezing (0° C.). For instance, charging atbelow-freezing temperatures can cause permanent damage to the battery.As described below, the present embodiments are directed to solving thisproblem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various embodiments of the present combination heatsink and batteryheater for electronic devices now will be discussed in detail with anemphasis on highlighting the advantageous features. These embodimentsdepict the novel and non-obvious combination heatsink and battery heaterfor electronic devices shown in the accompanying drawings, which are forillustrative purposes only. These drawings include the followingfigures, in which like numerals indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an A/V recording andcommunication doorbell system according to the present embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process for streaming and storingA/V content from an A/V recording and communication doorbell systemaccording to various aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating an embodiment of anA/V recording and communication doorbell system according to the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of an A/V recordingand communication doorbell according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a partially exploded front perspective view of the A/Vrecording and communication doorbell of FIG. 4 showing the coverremoved;

FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 are front perspective views of various internalcomponents of the A/V recording and communication doorbell of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7A is a front perspective view of another embodiment of an infrared(IR) light-emitting diode (LED) printed circuit board (PCB) according tovarious aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a right-side cross-sectional view of the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell of FIG. 4 taken through the line 10-10 in FIG. 4;

FIGS. 11-13 are rear perspective views of various internal components ofthe A/V recording and communication doorbell of FIG. 4;

FIG. 14 is a front elevation view of an infrared (IR) light-emittingdiode (LED) printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) with attached heatsinkaccording to the present embodiments;

FIG. 15 is a front elevation view of the PCBA of FIG. 14 with athermally conductive sheet extending from the PCBA according to thepresent embodiments;

FIG. 16 is a rear elevation view of the PCBA and thermally conductivesheet of FIG. 15 within a housing for an electronic device according tothe present embodiments;

FIG. 17 is a rear elevation view of the PCBA and thermally conductivesheet within a housing for an electronic device of FIG. 16 with arechargeable battery overlying the thermally conductive sheet and anelectrically powered battery heater overlying the rechargeable battery;

FIG. 18 is a functional block diagram of a client device on which thepresent embodiments may be implemented according to various aspects ofthe present disclosure; and

FIG. 19 is a functional block diagram of a general-purpose computingsystem on which the present embodiments may be implemented according tovarious aspects of present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The various embodiments of the present combination heatsink and batteryheater for electronic devices have several features, no single one ofwhich is solely responsible for their desirable attributes. Withoutlimiting the scope of the present embodiments as expressed by the claimsthat follow, their more prominent features now will be discussedbriefly. After considering this discussion, and particularly afterreading the section entitled “Detailed Description,” one will understandhow the features of the present embodiments provide the advantagesdescribed herein.

One aspect of the present embodiments includes the realization thatbattery-powered electronic devices for outdoor applications, such as A/Vrecording and communication devices, would benefit from an energyefficient technique for counteracting the negative impact of coldtemperatures on such rechargeable batteries. Such a technique would beespecially advantageous if it did not consume any additional electricalpower (e.g., beyond what is already required to power the device). Forexample, it would be advantageous to leverage the waste heat generatedby one or more components of an A/V recording and communication deviceto provide heat to a battery of the A/V recording and communicationdevice and raise the temperature of the battery when the weather iscold. Such a solution would not only provide an advantageous source ofwarmth for the battery, but would also provide an advantageous heat sinkfor the one or more components generating the waste heat. The presentembodiments provide these advantages, as described below. The presentembodiments are applicable to electronic devices that are primarilypowered, or solely powered, by one or more rechargeable batteries. Thepresent embodiments are also applicable to electronic devices that areprimarily powered by AC mains and that use one or more rechargeablebatteries for supplemental power and/or to power specific components ofthe device.

Another aspect of the present embodiments includes the realization thatmany A/V recording and communication devices include infrared (IR)illumination, such as IR light-emitting diodes (LEDs). IR illuminatorsenable A/V recording and communication devices to record video footagein low light conditions. For example, high quality “night vision” basedon IR illumination and IR sensor technology requires adequate opticalpower to be provided to illuminate the field of view. Increased opticalpower allows clearer imaging at greater distance from the camera. Thus,for clear imaging at large distances (e.g. 3 meters or greater) eitherthe sensitivity of the camera must be increased, or the light outputfrom the IR illuminator must be increased. The latter requiresincreasing the electrical power, which increases power dissipation ofthe IR illuminator. But, the IR illuminator is typically only needed atnight, and therefore need only be powered at night. As ambienttemperatures are typically lowest at night, it is therefore convenientand synergistic to use the heat dissipation of the IR illuminator as athermal source for warming the rechargeable battery that powers the A/Vrecording and communication device.

The following detailed description describes the present embodimentswith reference to the drawings. In the drawings, reference numbers labelelements of the present embodiments. These reference numbers arereproduced below in connection with the discussion of the correspondingdrawing features.

The embodiments of the present combination heatsink and battery heaterfor electronic devices are described below with reference to thefigures. These figures, and their written descriptions, indicate thatcertain components of the apparatus are formed integrally, and certainother components are formed as separate pieces. Those of ordinary skillin the art will appreciate that components shown and described herein asbeing formed integrally may in alternative embodiments be formed asseparate pieces. Those of ordinary skill in the art will furtherappreciate that components shown and described herein as being formed asseparate pieces may in alternative embodiments be formed integrally.Further, as used herein the term integral describes a single unitarypiece.

Some aspects of the present embodiments provide apparatus and methodsfor harnessing the waste heat generated by one or more components (e.g.,a set of IR LEDs) of an A/V recording and communication device (e.g., adoorbell, a security camera, etc.) to manage the temperature of one ormore batteries of the A/V recording and communication device. One aspectof the present embodiments advantageously raises the temperature of thebattery in cold weather without requiring any additional electricalpower (e.g., without consuming any additional power for heating up thebattery). In one aspect of the present embodiments, a thermallyconductive sheet extends between a printed circuit board to which one ormore IR LEDs are coupled and a rechargeable battery of the device. Thethermally conductive sheet transfers the waste heat generated by the IRLEDs to the rechargeable battery, thereby simultaneously acting as aheat sink for the IR LEDs and as a source of warmth for the rechargeablebattery. In some of the present embodiments, the thermally conductivesheet may also be coupled to a separate heatsink of the IR LEDs. Assuch, the thermally conductive sheet not only transfers the heatgenerated by the IR LEDs to the rechargeable battery, but also acts asan additional component that prevents the IR LEDs from overheating.

Some aspects of the present embodiments measure the temperature of therechargeable battery and dynamically manage the rechargeable battery'stemperature based on the measured temperature. For example, when it isdetermined that the rechargeable battery would benefit from anapplication of additional heat, some of the present embodiments provideadditional power to one or more components (e.g., one or more IR LEDs)of the A/V recording and communication device so that these componentsgenerate more heat for the rechargeable battery. Instead of, or inaddition to, providing additional power to the IR LEDs, some of thepresent embodiments may extend the time during which power is providedto the IR LEDs so that the IR LEDs produce additional heat.

With reference to FIG. 1, the present embodiments include an audio/video(A/V) recording and communication doorbell 100. The A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 100 is typically located near the entrance to astructure (not shown), such as a dwelling, a business, a storagefacility, etc. The A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 includesa camera 102, a microphone 104, and a speaker 106. The camera 102 maycomprise, for example, a high definition (HD) video camera, such as onecapable of capturing video images at an image display resolution of'720p or better. While not shown, the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 100 may also include other hardware and/or components, such asa housing, one or more motion sensors (and/or other types of sensors), abutton, etc. The A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 mayfurther include similar componentry and/or functionality as the wirelesscommunication doorbells described in US Patent Application PublicationNos. 2015/0022620 (application Ser. No. 14/499,828) and 2015/0022618(application Ser. No. 14/334,922), both of which are incorporated hereinby reference in their entireties as if fully set forth.

With further reference to FIG. 1, the A/V recording and communicationdevice 100 communicates with a user's network 110, which may be forexample a wired and/or wireless network. If the user's network 110 iswireless, or includes a wireless component, the network 110 may be aWi-Fi network compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard and/or otherwireless communication standard(s). The user's network 110 is connectedto another network 112, which may comprise, for example, the Internetand/or a public switched telephone network (PSTN). As described below,the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 may communicate with auser's client device 114 via the user's network 110 and the network 112(Internet/PSTN). The user's client device 114 may comprise, for example,a mobile telephone (may also be referred to as a cellular telephone),such as a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or anothercommunication device. The user's client device 114 comprises a display(not shown) and related components capable of displaying streamingand/or recorded video images. The user's client device 114 may alsocomprise a speaker and related components capable of broadcastingstreaming and/or recorded audio, and may also comprise a microphone. TheA/V recording and communication doorbell 100 may also communicate withone or more remote storage device(s) 116 (may be referred tointerchangeably as “cloud storage device(s)”), one or more servers 118,and/or a backend API (application programming interface) 120 via theuser's network 110 and the network 112 (Internet/PSTN). While FIG. 1illustrates the storage device 116, the server 118, and the backend API120 as components separate from the network 112, it is to be understoodthat the storage device 116, the server 118, and/or the backend API 120may be considered to be components of the network 112.

The network 112 may be any wireless network or any wired network, or acombination thereof, configured to operatively couple the abovementioned modules, devices, and systems as shown in FIG. 1. For example,the network 112 may include one or more of the following: a PSTN (publicswitched telephone network), the Internet, a local intranet, a PAN(Personal Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide AreaNetwork), a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), a virtual private network(VPN), a storage area network (SAN), a frame relay connection, anAdvanced Intelligent Network (AIN) connection, a synchronous opticalnetwork (SONET) connection, a digital T1, T3, E1 or E3 line, a DigitalData Service (DDS) connection, a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)connection, an Ethernet connection, an ISDN (Integrated Services DigitalNetwork) line, a dial-up port such as a V.90, V.34, or V.34b is analogmodem connection, a cable modem, an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)connection, or an FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) or CDDI(Copper Distributed Data Interface) connection. Furthermore,communications may also include links to any of a variety of wirelessnetworks, including WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), GPRS (GeneralPacket Radio Service), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication),CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), TDMA (Time Division MultipleAccess), FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access), and/or OFDMA(Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) cellular phone networks,GPS, CDPD (cellular digital packet data), RIM (Research in Motion,Limited) duplex paging network, Bluetooth radio, or an IEEE 802.11-basedradio frequency network. The network can further include or interfacewith any one or more of the following: RS-232 serial connection,IEEE-1394 (Firewire) connection, Fibre Channel connection, IrDA(infrared) port, SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) connection, USB(Universal Serial Bus) connection, or other wired or wireless, digitalor analog, interface or connection, mesh or Digi® networking.

According to one or more aspects of the present embodiments, when aperson (may be referred to interchangeably as “visitor”) arrives at theA/V recording and communication doorbell 100, the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 100 detects the visitor's presence and beginscapturing video images within a field of view of the camera 102. The A/Vrecording and communication doorbell 100 may also capture audio throughthe microphone 104. The A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 maydetect the visitor's presence by detecting motion using the camera 102and/or a motion sensor, and/or by detecting that the visitor hasdepressed the button on the A/V recording and communication doorbell100.

In response to the detection of the visitor, the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 100 sends an alert to the user's client device114 (FIG. 1) via the user's network 110 and the network 112. The A/Vrecording and communication doorbell 100 also sends streaming video, andmay also send streaming audio, to the user's client device 114. If theuser answers the alert, two-way audio communication may then occurbetween the visitor and the user through the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 100 and the user's client device 114. The usermay view the visitor throughout the duration of the call, but thevisitor cannot see the user (unless the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 100 includes a display, which it may in some embodiments).

The video images captured by the camera 102 of the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 100 (and the audio captured by the microphone104) may be uploaded to the cloud and recorded on the remote storagedevice 116 (FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the video and/or audio may berecorded on the remote storage device 116 even if the user chooses toignore the alert sent to his or her client device 114.

With further reference to FIG. 1, the system may further comprise abackend API 120 including one or more components. A backend API(application programming interface) may comprise, for example, a server(e.g. a real server, or a virtual machine, or a machine running in acloud infrastructure as a service), or multiple servers networkedtogether, exposing at least one API to client(s) accessing it. Theseservers may include components such as application servers (e.g.software servers), depending upon what other components are included,such as a caching layer, or database layers, or other components. Abackend API may, for example, comprise many such applications, each ofwhich communicate with one another using their public APIs. In someembodiments, the API backend may hold the bulk of the user data andoffer the user management capabilities, leaving the clients to have verylimited state.

The backend API 120 illustrated FIG. 1 may include one or more APIs. AnAPI is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software andapplications. An API expresses a software component in terms of itsoperations, inputs, outputs, and underlying types, definingfunctionalities that are independent of their respectiveimplementations, which allows definitions and implementations to varywithout compromising the interface. Advantageously, an API may provide aprogrammer with access to an application's functionality without theprogrammer needing to modify the application itself, or even understandhow the application works. An API may be for a web-based system, anoperating system, or a database system, and it provides facilities todevelop applications for that system using a given programming language.In addition to accessing databases or computer hardware like hard diskdrives or video cards, an API can ease the work of programming GUIcomponents. For example, an API can facilitate integration of newfeatures into existing applications (a so-called “plug-in API”). An APIcan also assist otherwise distinct applications with sharing data, whichcan help to integrate and enhance the functionalities of theapplications.

The backend API 120 illustrated in FIG. 1 may further include one ormore services (also referred to as network services). A network serviceis an application that provides data storage, manipulation,presentation, communication, and/or other capability. Network servicesare often implemented using a client-server architecture based onapplication-layer network protocols. Each service may be provided by aserver component running on one or more computers (such as a dedicatedserver computer offering multiple services) and accessed via a networkby client components running on other devices. However, the client andserver components can both be run on the same machine. Clients andservers may have a user interface, and sometimes other hardwareassociated with them.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process for streaming and storingA/V content from an A/V recording and communication doorbell systemaccording to various aspects of the present disclosure. At block B200,the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 detects the visitor'spresence and begins capturing video images within a field of view of thecamera 102. The A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 may alsocapture audio through the microphone 104. As described above, the A/Vrecording and communication doorbell 100 may detect the visitor'spresence by detecting motion using the camera 102 and/or a motionsensor, and/or by detecting that the visitor has depressed the button onthe A/V recording and communication doorbell 100.

At block B202, a communication module of the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 100 sends a connection request, via the user'snetwork 110 and the network 112, to a device in the network 112. Forexample, the network device to which the request is sent may be a serversuch as the server 118. The server 118 may comprise a computer programand/or a machine that waits for requests from other machines or software(clients) and responds to them. A server typically processes data. Onepurpose of a server is to share data and/or hardware and/or softwareresources among clients. This architecture is called the client-servermodel. The clients may run on the same computer or may connect to theserver over a network. Examples of computing servers include databaseservers, file servers, mail servers, print servers, web servers, gameservers, and application servers. The term server may be construedbroadly to include any computerized process that shares a resource toone or more client processes.

In response to the request, at block B204 the network device may connectthe A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 to the user's clientdevice 114 through the user's network 110 and the network 112. At blockB206, the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 may recordavailable audio and/or video data using the camera 102, the microphone104, and/or any other sensor available. At block B208, the audio and/orvideo data is transmitted (streamed) from the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 100 to the user's client device 114 via theuser's network 110 and the network 112. At block B210, the user mayreceive a notification on his or her client device 114 with a prompt toeither accept or deny the call.

At block B212, the process determines whether the user has accepted ordenied the call. If the user denies the notification, then the processadvances to block B214, where the audio and/or video data is recordedand stored at a cloud server. The session then ends at block B216 andthe connection between the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100and the user's client device 114 is terminated. If, however, the useraccepts the notification, then at block B218 the user communicates withthe visitor through the user's client device 114 while audio and/orvideo data captured by the camera 102, the microphone 104, and/or othersensors is streamed to the user's client device 114. At the end of thecall, the user may terminate the connection between the user's clientdevice 114 and the A/V recording and communication doorbell 100 and thesession ends at block B216. In some embodiments, the audio and/or videodata may be recorded and stored at a cloud server (block B214) even ifthe user accepts the notification and communicates with the visitorthrough the user's client device 114.

Many of today's homes include a wired doorbell system that does not haveA/V communication capabilities. Instead, standard wired doorbell systemsinclude a button outside the home next to the front door. The buttonactivates a signaling device (such as a bell or a buzzer) inside thebuilding. Pressing the doorbell button momentarily closes the doorbellcircuit, which may be, for example, a single-pole, single-throw (SPST)push button switch. One terminal of the button is wired to a terminal ona transformer. The transformer steps down the 120-volt or 240-volthousehold AC electrical power to a lower voltage, typically 16 to 24volts. Another terminal on the transformer is wired to a terminal on thesignaling device. Another terminal on the signaling device is wired tothe other terminal on the button. A common signaling device includes twoflat metal bar resonators, which are struck by plungers operated by twosolenoids. The flat bars are tuned to different notes. When the doorbellbutton is pressed, the first solenoid's plunger strikes one of the bars,and when the button is released, a spring on the plunger pushes theplunger in an opposite direction, and the momentum of the plunger causesa striking of the other bar having a different acoustic resonance (e.g.,thereby create a two-tone sound (“ding-dong”)).

Many current A/V recording and communication doorbell systems (otherthan the present embodiments) are incompatible with existing wireddoorbell systems of the type described in the preceding paragraph. Onereason for this incompatibility is that the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell draws an amount of power from the household ACelectrical power supply that is above the threshold necessary forcausing the signaling device to sound. The A/V recording andcommunication doorbell thus causes frequent inadvertent sounding of thesignaling device, which is not only bothersome to the home'soccupant(s), but also undermines the usefulness of the doorbell. Thepresent embodiments solve this problem by limiting the power consumptionof the A/V recording and communication doorbell to an amount that isbelow the threshold necessary for causing the signaling device to sound.Embodiments of the present A/V recording and communication doorbell canthus be connected to the existing household AC power supply and theexisting signaling device without causing inadvertent sounding of thesignaling device.

Several advantages flow from the ability of the present embodiments tobe connected to the existing household AC power supply. For example, thecamera of the present A/V recording and communication doorbell can bepowered on continuously. In a typical battery-powered A/V recording andcommunication doorbell, the camera is powered on only part of the timeso that the battery does not drain too rapidly. The present embodiments,by contrast, do not rely on a battery as a primary (or sole) powersupply, and are thus able to keep the camera powered on continuously.Because the camera is able to be powered on continuously, it can alwaysbe recording, and recorded footage can be continuously stored in arolling buffer or sliding window. In some embodiments, about 10-15seconds of recorded footage can be continuously stored in the rollingbuffer or sliding window. Also because the camera is able to be poweredon continuously, it can be used for motion detection, thus eliminatingany need for a separate motion detection device, such as a passiveinfrared sensor (PIR). Eliminating the PIR simplifies the design of theA/V recording and communication doorbell and enables the doorbell to bemade more compact. Also because the camera is able to be powered oncontinuously, it can be used as a light detector for use in controllingthe current state of the IR cut filter and turning the IR LED on andoff. Using the camera as a light detector eliminates any need for aseparate light detector, thereby further simplifying the design of theA/V recording and communication doorbell and enabling the doorbell to bemade even more compact.

FIGS. 3-13 illustrate one embodiment of a low-power-consumption A/Vrecording and communication doorbell 130 according to various aspects ofthe present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagramillustrating various components of the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130 and their relationships to one another. For example, theA/V recording and communication doorbell 130 includes a pair ofterminals 131, 132 configured to be connected to a source of external AC(alternating-current) power, such as a household AC power supply 134(may also be referred to as AC mains). The AC power 134 may have avoltage in the range of 16-24 VAC, for example. The incoming AC power134 may be converted to DC (direct-current) by an AC/DC rectifier 136.An output of the AC/DC rectifier 136 may be connected to an input of aDC/DC converter 138, which may step down the voltage from the output ofthe AC/DC rectifier 136 from 16-24 VDC to a lower voltage of about 5VDC, for example. In various embodiments, the output of the DC/DCconverter 138 may be in a range of from about 2.5 V to about 7.5 V, forexample.

With further reference to FIG. 3, the output of the DC/DC converter 138is connected to a power manager 140, which may comprise an integratedcircuit including a processor core, memory, and/or programmableinput/output peripherals. In one non-limiting example, the power manager140 may be an off-the-shelf component, such as the BQ24773 chipmanufactured by Texas Instruments. As described in detail below, thepower manager 140 controls, among other things, an amount of power(current) drawn from the external power supply 134, as well as an amountof supplemental current drawn from a battery 142, to power the A/Vrecording and communication doorbell 130. The power manager 140 may, forexample, limit the amount of current drawn from the external powersupply 134 so that a threshold current draw is not exceeded. In onenon-limiting example, the threshold current, as measured at the outputof the DC/DC converter 138, may be equal to 1.4 A. The power manager 140may also control an amount of current drawn from the external powersupply 134 and directed to the battery 142 for recharging of the battery142. An output of the power manager 140 is connected to a powersequencer 144, which controls a sequence of power delivery to othercomponents of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130,including a communication module 146, a front button 148, a microphone150, a speaker driver 151, a speaker 152, an audio CODEC (Coder-DECoder)153, a camera 154, an infrared (IR) light source 156, an IR cut filter158, a processor 160 (may also be referred to as a controller 160), aplurality of light indicators 162, and a controller 164 for the lightindicators 162. Each of these components is described in detail below.The power sequencer 144 may comprise an integrated circuit including aprocessor core, memory, and/or programmable input/output peripherals. Inone non-limiting example, the power sequencer 144 may be anoff-the-shelf component, such as the RT5024 chip manufactured byRichtek.

With further reference to FIG. 3, the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130 further comprises an electronic switch 166 that closes whenthe front button 148 is depressed. When the electronic switch 166closes, power from the AC power source 134 is diverted through asignaling device 168 that is external to the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 130 to cause the signaling device 168 to emit asound, as further described below. In one non-limiting example, theelectronic switch 166 may be a triac device. The A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 130 further comprises a reset button 170configured to initiate a hard reset of the processor 160, as furtherdescribed below.

With further reference to FIG. 3, the processor 160 may perform dataprocessing and various other functions, as described below. Theprocessor 160 may comprise an integrated circuit including a processorcore, memory 172, non-volatile memory 174, and/or programmableinput/output peripherals (not shown). The memory 172 may comprise, forexample, DDR3 (double data rate type three synchronous dynamicrandom-access memory). The non-volatile memory 174 may comprise, forexample, NAND flash memory. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, thememory 172 and the non-volatile memory 174 are illustrated within thebox representing the processor 160. It is to be understood that theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and in someembodiments the memory 172 and/or the non-volatile memory 174 are notnecessarily physically incorporated with the processor 160. The memory172 and/or the non-volatile memory 174, regardless of their physicallocation, may be shared by one or more other components (in addition tothe processor 160) of the present A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130.

The transfer of digital audio between the user and a visitor may becompressed and decompressed using the audio CODEC 153, which isoperatively coupled to the processor 160. When the visitor speaks, audiofrom the visitor is compressed by the audio CODEC 153, digital audiodata is sent through the communication module 146 to the network 112 viathe user's network 110, routed by the server 118 and delivered to theuser's client device 114. When the user speaks, after being transferredthrough the network 112, the user's network 110, and the communicationmodule 146, the digital audio data is decompressed by the audio CODEC153 and emitted to the visitor through the speaker 152, which is drivenby the speaker driver 151.

With further reference to FIG. 3, some of the present embodiments mayinclude a shunt 176 connected in parallel with the signaling device 168.The shunt 176 facilitates the ability of the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 130 to draw power (current) from the AC powersource 134 without inadvertently triggering the signaling device 168.The shunt 176, during normal standby operation, presents a relativelylow electrical impedance, such as a few ohms, across the terminals ofthe signaling device 168. Most of the current drawn by the A/V recordingand communication doorbell 130, therefore, flows through the shunt 176,and not through the signaling device 168. The shunt 176, however,contains electronic circuitry that switches the shunt 176 between astate of low impedance, such as a few ohms, for example, and a state ofhigh impedance, such as >1K ohms, for example. When the front button 148of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 is pressed, theelectronic switch 166 closes, causing the voltage from the AC powersource 134 to be impressed mostly across the shunt 176 and the signalingdevice 168 in parallel, while a small amount of voltage, such as about1V, is impressed across the electronic switch 166. The circuitry in theshunt 176 senses this voltage, and switches the shunt 176 to the highimpedance state, so that power from the AC power source 134 is divertedthrough the signaling device 168. The diverted AC power 134 is above thethreshold necessary to cause the signaling device 168 to emit a sound.Pressing the front button 148 of the doorbell 130 therefore causes thesignaling device 168 to “ring,” alerting any person(s) within thestructure to which the doorbell 130 is mounted that there is a visitorat the front door (or at another location corresponding to the locationof the doorbell 130). In one non-limiting example, the electronic switch166 may be a triac device. Further details of the shunt 176 aredescribed in Application Ser. No. 62/308,746, filed on Mar. 15, 2016 andentitled Low-Power-Consumption Audio/Video Recording and CommunicationDoorbell, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety asif fully set forth.

With reference to FIGS. 4-6, the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130 further comprises a housing 178 having an enclosure 180(FIG. 6), a back plate 182 secured to the rear of the enclosure 180, anda shell 184 overlying the enclosure 180. With reference to FIG. 6, theshell 184 includes a recess 186 that is sized and shaped to receive theenclosure 180 in a close fitting engagement, such that outer surfaces ofthe enclosure 180 abut conforming inner surfaces of the shell 184.Exterior dimensions of the enclosure 180 may be closely matched withinterior dimensions of the shell 184 such that friction maintains theshell 184 about the enclosure 180. Alternatively, or in addition, theenclosure 180 and/or the shell 184 may include mating features 188, suchas one or more tabs, grooves, slots, posts, etc. to assist inmaintaining the shell 184 about the enclosure 180. The back plate 182 issized and shaped such that the edges of the back plate 182 extendoutward from the edges of the enclosure 180, thereby creating a lip 190against which the shell 184 abuts when the shell 184 is mated with theenclosure 180, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In some embodiments, multipleshells 184 in different colors may be provided so that the end user maycustomize the appearance of his or her A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130. For example, the A/V recording and communication doorbell130 may be packaged and sold with multiple shells 184 in differentcolors in the same package.

With reference to FIG. 4, a front surface of the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 130 includes the button 148 (may also be referredto as front button 148, FIG. 3), which is operatively connected to theprocessor 160. In a process similar to that described above withreference to FIG. 2, when a visitor presses the front button 148, analert may be sent to the user's client device to notify the user thatsomeone is at his or her front door (or at another locationcorresponding to the location of the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130). With further reference to FIG. 4, the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 130 further includes the camera 154, which isoperatively connected to the processor 160, and which is located behinda shield 192. As described in detail below, the camera 154 is configuredto capture video images from within its field of view. Those videoimages can be streamed to the user's client device and/or uploaded to aremote network device for later viewing according to a process similarto that described above with reference to FIG. 2.

With reference to FIG. 5, a pair of terminal screws 194 extends throughthe back plate 182. The terminal screws 194 are connected at their innerends to the terminals 131, 132 (FIG. 3) within the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 130. The terminal screws 194 are configured toreceive electrical wires to connect to the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 130, through the terminals 131, 132, to thehousehold AC power supply 134 of the structure on which the A/Vrecording and communication doorbell 130 is mounted. In the illustratedembodiment, the terminal screws 194 are located within a recessedportion 196 of the rear surface 198 of the back plate 182 so that theterminal screws 194 do not protrude from the outer envelope of the A/Vrecording and communication doorbell 130. The A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 130 can thus be mounted to a mounting surfacewith the rear surface 198 of the back plate 182 abutting the mountingsurface. The back plate 182 includes apertures 200 adjacent its upperand lower edges to accommodate mounting hardware, such as screws (notshown), for securing the back plate 182 (and thus the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 130) to the mounting surface. With reference toFIG. 6, the enclosure 180 includes corresponding apertures 202 adjacentits upper and lower edges that align with the apertures 200 in the backplate 182 to accommodate the mounting hardware. In certain embodiments,the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 may include a mountingplate or bracket (not shown) to facilitate securing the A/V recordingand communication doorbell 130 to the mounting surface.

With further reference to FIG. 6, the shell 184 includes a centralopening 204 in a front surface. The central opening 204 is sized andshaped to accommodate the shield 192. In the illustrated embodiment, theshield 192 is substantially rectangular, and includes a central opening206 through which the front button 148 protrudes. The shield 192 definesa plane parallel to and in front of a front surface 208 of the enclosure180. When the shell 184 is mated with the enclosure 180, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 10, the shield 192 resides within the central opening 204 ofthe shell 184 such that a front surface 210 of the shield 192 issubstantially flush with a front surface 212 of the shell 184 and thereis little or no gap (FIG. 4) between the outer edges of the shield 192and the inner edges of the central opening 204 in the shell 184.

With further reference to FIG. 6, the shield 192 includes an upperportion 214 (located above and to the sides of the front button 148) anda lower portion 216 (located below and to the sides of the front button148). The upper and lower portions 214, 216 of the shield 192 may beseparate pieces, and may comprise different materials. The upper portion214 of the shield 192 may be transparent or translucent so that it doesnot interfere with the field of view of the camera 154. For example, incertain embodiments the upper portion 214 of the shield 192 may compriseglass or plastic. As described in detail below, the microphone 150,which is operatively connected to the processor 160, is located behindthe upper portion 214 of the shield 192. The upper portion 214,therefore, may include an opening 218 that facilitates the passage ofsound through the shield 192 so that the microphone 150 is better ableto pick up sounds from the area around the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 130.

The lower portion 216 of the shield 192 may comprise a material that issubstantially transparent to infrared (IR) light, but partially ormostly opaque with respect to light in the visible spectrum. Forexample, in certain embodiments the lower portion 216 of the shield 192may comprise a plastic, such as polycarbonate. The lower portion 216 ofthe shield 192, therefore, does not interfere with transmission of IRlight from the IR light source 156, which is located behind the lowerportion 216. As described in detail below, the IR light source 156 andthe IR cut filter 158, which are both operatively connected to theprocessor 160, facilitate “night vision” functionality of the camera154.

The upper portion 214 and/or the lower portion 216 of the shield 192 mayabut an underlying cover 220 (FIG. 10), which may be integral with theenclosure 180 or may be a separate piece. The cover 220, which may beopaque, may include a first opening 222 corresponding to the location ofthe camera 154, a second opening (not shown) corresponding to thelocation of the microphone 150 and the opening 218 in the upper portion214 of the shield 192, and a third opening (not shown) corresponding tothe location of the IR light source 156.

FIGS. 7-10 illustrate various internal components of the A/V recordingand communication doorbell 130. FIGS. 7-9 are front perspective views ofthe doorbell 130 with the shell 184 and the enclosure 180 removed, whileFIG. 10 is a right-side cross-sectional view of the doorbell 130 takenthrough the line 10-10 in FIG. 4. With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, theA/V recording and communication doorbell 130 further comprises a mainprinted circuit board (PCB) 224 and a front PCB 226. With reference toFIG. 8, the front PCB 226 comprises a button actuator 228. Withreference to FIGS. 7, 8, and 10, the front button 148 is located infront of the button actuator 228. The front button 148 includes a stem230 (FIG. 10) that extends into the housing 178 to contact the buttonactuator 228. When the front button 148 is pressed, the stem 230depresses the button actuator 228, thereby closing the electronic switch166 (FIG. 8), as described below.

With reference to FIG. 8, the front PCB 226 further comprises the lightindicators 162, which may illuminate when the front button 148 of thedoorbell 130 is pressed. In the illustrated embodiment, the lightindicators 162 comprise light-emitting diodes (LEDs 162) that aresurface mounted to the front surface of the front PCB 226 and arearranged in a circle around the button actuator 228. The presentembodiments are not limited to the light indicators 162 being LEDs, andin alternative embodiments the light indicators 162 may comprise anyother type of light-emitting device. The present embodiments are alsonot limited by the number of light indicators 162 shown in FIG. 8, norby the pattern in which they are arranged.

With reference to FIG. 7, the doorbell 130 further comprises a lightpipe 232. The light pipe 232 is a transparent or translucent ring thatencircles the front button 148. With reference to FIG. 4, the light pipe232 resides in an annular space between the front button 148 and thecentral opening 206 in the shield 192, with a front surface 234 of thelight pipe 232 being substantially flush with the front surface 210 ofthe shield 192. With reference to FIGS. 7 and 10, a rear portion oflight pipe 232 includes a plurality of posts 236 whose positionscorrespond to the positions of the LEDs 162. When the LEDs 162 areilluminated, light is transmitted through the posts 236 and the body ofthe light pipe 232 so that the light is visible at the front surface 234of the light pipe 232. The LEDs 162 and the light pipe 232 thus providea ring of illumination around the front button 148. The light pipe 232may comprise a plastic, for example, or any other suitable materialcapable of transmitting light.

The LEDs 162 and the light pipe 232 may function as visual indicatorsfor a visitor and/or a user. For example, the LEDs 162 may illuminateupon activation or stay illuminated continuously. In one aspect, theLEDs 162 may change color to indicate that the front button 148 has beenpressed. The LEDs 162 may also indicate that the battery 142 needsrecharging, or that the battery 142 is currently being charged, or thatcharging of the battery 142 has been completed. The LEDs 162 mayindicate that a connection to the user's wireless network is good,limited, poor, or not connected. The LEDs 162 may be used to guide theuser through setup or installation steps using visual cues, potentiallycoupled with audio cues emitted from the speaker 152.

With further reference to FIG. 7, the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130 further comprises a rechargeable battery 142. As describedin further detail below, the A/V recording and communication doorbell130 is connected to an external power source 134 (FIG. 3), such as ACmains. The A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 is primarilypowered by the external power source 134, but may also draw power(current) from the rechargeable battery 142 so as not to exceed athreshold amount of power from the external power source 134, to therebyavoid inadvertently sounding the signaling device 168. With reference toFIG. 3, the battery 142 is operatively connected to the power manager140. As described below, the power manager 140 controls an amount ofpower (current) drawn from the battery 142 to supplement the currentdrawn from the external AC power source 134 to power the A/V recordingand communication doorbell 130 when supplemental power is needed. Thepower manager 140 also controls recharging of the battery 142 usingcurrent drawn from the external power source 134. The battery 142 maycomprise, for example, a lithium-ion battery, or any other type ofrechargeable battery.

With further reference to FIG. 7, the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130 further comprises the camera 154. The camera 154 is coupledto a front surface of the front PCB 226, and includes a lens 238 and animaging processor 240 (FIG. 9). The camera lens 238 may be a lenscapable of focusing light into the camera 154 so that clear images maybe captured. The camera 154 may comprise, for example, a high definition(HD) video camera, such as one capable of capturing video images at animage display resolution of 720p or better. In certain of the presentembodiments, the camera 154 may be used to detect motion within itsfield of view, as described below.

With further reference to FIG. 7, the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130 further comprises an infrared (IR) light source 242. In theillustrated embodiment, the IR light source 242 comprises an IRlight-emitting diode (LED) 242 coupled to an IR LED printed circuitboard (PCB) 244. In alternative embodiments, the IR LED 242 may notcomprise a separate PCB 244, and may, for example, be coupled to thefront PCB 226.

With reference to FIGS. 7 and 10, the IR LED PCB 244 is located belowthe front button 148 (FIG. 7) and behind the lower portion 216 of theshield 192 (FIG. 10). As described above, the lower portion 216 of theshield 192 is transparent to IR light, but may be opaque with respect tolight in the visible spectrum. FIG. 7A illustrates an alternativeembodiment of the IR LED PCB 244′ comprising three IR LEDs 242. In anembodiment including the IR LED PCB 244′ of FIG. 7A, or including any IRLED PCB having more than one IR LED 242, the size of the third openingin the cover may be increased to accommodate the larger size of the IRLED PCB 244′.

The IR LED 242 may be triggered to activate when a low level of ambientlight is detected. When activated, IR light emitted from the IR LED 242illuminates the camera 154's field of view. The camera 154, which may beconfigured to detect IR light, may then capture the IR light emitted bythe IR LED 242 as it reflects off objects within the camera 154's fieldof view, so that the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 canclearly capture images at night (may be referred to as “night vision”).

With reference to FIG. 9, the A/V recording and communication doorbell130 further comprises an IR cut filter 158. The IR cut filter 158 is amechanical shutter that can be selectively positioned between the lens238 and the image sensor of the camera 154. During daylight hours, orwhenever there is a sufficient amount of ambient light, the IR cutfilter 158 is positioned between the lens 238 and the image sensor tofilter out IR light so that it does not distort the colors of images asthe human eye sees them. During nighttime hours, or whenever there islittle to no ambient light, the IR cut filter 158 is withdrawn from thespace between the lens 238 and the image sensor, so that the camera 154is sensitive to IR light (“night vision”). In some embodiments, thecamera 154 acts as a light detector for use in controlling the currentstate of the IR cut filter 158 and turning the IR LED 242 on and off.Using the camera 154 as a light detector is facilitated in someembodiments by the fact that the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130 is powered by a connection to AC mains, and the camera 154,therefore, is always powered on. In other embodiments, however, the A/Vrecording and communication doorbell 130 may include a light sensorseparate from the camera 154 for use in controlling the IR cut filter158 and the IR LED 242.

With reference back to FIG. 6, the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130 further comprises a reset button 170. The reset button 170contacts a reset button actuator 246 (FIG. 8) coupled to the front PCB226. When the reset button 170 is pressed, it may contact the resetbutton actuator 246, which may trigger the erasing of any data stored atthe non-volatile memory 174 and/or at the memory 172 (FIG. 3), and/ormay trigger a reboot of the processor 160.

FIGS. 11-13 further illustrate internal components of the A/V recordingand communication doorbell 130. FIGS. 11-13 are rear perspective viewsof the doorbell 130 with the back plate 182 and additional componentsremoved. For example, in FIG. 11 the back plate 182 is removed, while inFIG. 12 the back plate 182 and the main PCB 224 are removed, and in FIG.13 the back plate 182, the main PCB 224, and the front PCB 226 areremoved. With reference to FIG. 11, several components are coupled tothe rear surface of the main PCB 224, including the communication module146, the processor 160, memory 172, and non-volatile memory 174. Thefunctions of each of these components are described below. Withreference to FIG. 12, several components are coupled to the rear surfaceof the front PCB 226, including the power manager 140, the powersequencer 144, the AC/DC rectifier 136, the DC/DC converter 138, and thecontroller 164 for the light indicators 162. The functions of each ofthese components are also described below. With reference to FIG. 13,several components are visible within the enclosure 180, including themicrophone 150, a speaker chamber 248 (in which the speaker 152 islocated), and an antenna 250 for the communication module 146. Thefunctions of each of these components are also described below.

With reference to FIG. 7, the antenna 250 is coupled to the frontsurface of the main PCB 224 and operatively connected to thecommunication module 146, which is coupled to the rear surface of themain PCB 224 (FIG. 11). The microphone 150, which may also be coupled tothe front surface of the main PCB 224, is located near the opening 218(FIG. 4) in the upper portion 214 of the shield 192 so that soundsemanating from the area around the A/V recording and communicationdoorbell 130 can pass through the opening 218 and be detected by themicrophone 150. With reference to FIG. 13, the speaker chamber 248 islocated near the bottom of the enclosure 180. The speaker chamber 248comprises a hollow enclosure in which the speaker 152 is located. Thehollow speaker chamber 248 amplifies the sounds made by the speaker 152so that they can be better heard by a visitor in the area near the A/Vrecording and communication doorbell 130. With reference to FIGS. 5 and13, the lower surface 252 of the shell 184 and the lower surface (notshown) of the enclosure 180 may include an acoustical opening 254through which the sounds made by the speaker 152 can pass so that theycan be better heard by a visitor in the area near the A/V recording andcommunication doorbell 130. In the illustrated embodiment, theacoustical opening 254 is shaped generally as a rectangle having alength extending substantially across the lower surface 252 of the shell184 (and also the enclosure 180). The illustrated shape is, however,just one example. With reference to FIG. 5, the lower surface 252 of theshell 184 may further include an opening 256 for receiving a securityscrew (not shown). The security screw may extend through the opening 256and into a similarly located opening in the enclosure 180 to secure theshell 184 to the enclosure 180. If the doorbell 130 is mounted to amounting bracket (not shown), the security screw may also maintain thedoorbell 130 on the mounting bracket.

With reference to FIG. 13, the A/V recording and communication doorbell130 may further include a battery heater 258. The present A/V recordingand communication doorbell 130 is configured for outdoor use, includingin cold climates. Cold temperatures, however, can cause negativeperformance issues for rechargeable batteries, such as reduced energycapacity, increased internal resistance, reduced ability to chargewithout damage, and reduced ability to supply load current. The batteryheater 258 helps to keep the rechargeable battery 142 warm in order toreduce or eliminate the foregoing negative performance issues. In theillustrated embodiment, the battery heater 258 comprises a substantiallyflat, thin sheet abutting a side surface of the rechargeable battery142. The battery heater 258 may comprise, for example, an electricallyresistive heating element that produces heat when electrical current ispassed through it. The battery heater 258 may thus be operativelycoupled to the power manager 140 and/or the power sequencer 144 (FIG.12). In some embodiments, the rechargeable battery 142 may include athermally sensitive resistor (“thermistor,” not shown) operativelyconnected to the processor 160 so that the battery 142's temperature canbe monitored and the amount of power supplied to the battery heater 258can be adaptively controlled to keep the rechargeable battery 142 withina desired temperature range.

FIG. 14 illustrates another embodiment of an infrared (IR) illuminator450 according to the present embodiments. The IR illuminator 450 isconfigured for use with the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130described above. The IR illuminator 450 is not, however, limited to usewith the A/V recording and communication doorbell 130 described above.The IR illuminator 450 is configured for use with any A/V recording andcommunication device, including other types of A/V recording andcommunication doorbells and/or security cameras.

With reference to FIG. 14, the IR illuminator 450 includes a pluralityof IR light-emitting diodes (LEDs) 452 mounted to a first surface 454 ofa printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 456 with a heatsink 458 coupledto a second surface of the PCBA 456 opposite the first surface 454. ThePCBA 456 may comprise, for example, a metal core. The heatsink 458comprises a metal plate having a larger surface area than the PCBA 456to enhance heat transfer away from the PCBA 456. Heat generated by theIR LEDs 452 is transferred through the PCBA 456 to the heatsink 458 viaconduction due to direct contact between the PCBA 456 and the heatsink458. Heat is transferred away from the heatsink 458 into the surroundingair via convection and/or into one or more other abutting components viaconduction. In the illustrated embodiment, threaded fasteners (e.g.screws) 460 extend through aligned holes in the PCBA 456 and theheatsink 458 to secure the PCBA 456 and the heatsink 458 to one another.Additional heat transfer may occur via conduction from the PCBA 456through the threaded fasteners 460 to the heatsink 458. In alternativeembodiments, however, the threaded fasteners 460 may be omitted, and thePCBA 456 and the heatsink 458 may be secured to one another withadhesive. In the illustrated embodiment, the heatsink 458 includesthrough holes 462 configured to receive threaded fasteners (not shown)for securing the heatsink 458 to the electronic device in which the PCBA456 and the heatsink 458 are located. In alternative embodiments,however, the through holes 462 may be omitted, and the heatsink 458 maybe secured to the electronic device with adhesive.

In the illustrated embodiment, three IR LEDs 452 are provided, but inalternative embodiments any number of IR LEDs 452 may be provided,including only one. Embodiments having multiple IR LEDs 452 provideadvantages, including increased electrical-to-optical conversionefficiency, and easier thermal management. Under high illuminationconditions, however, the multiple IR LEDs 452 dissipate significantpower and generate significant heat. It is desirable to maintain safe IRLED junction temperatures for reliable operation and long operatinglifetime, because the failure rate of electronic devices including IRLEDs typically doubles for every 10° C. rise in junction temperature.Thus, with reference to FIG. 15, the present embodiments furthercomprise a thermally conductive sheet 464 having a first portion 466sandwiched between the PCBA 456 and the heatsink 458 and a secondportion 468 extending from the PCBA 456 and the heatsink 458. Thethermally conductive sheet 464 advantageously increases the effectivesurface area of the heatsink 458, thereby allowing the IR LEDs 452 torun cooler for the same power input, or run at higher power for anygiven temperature rise. Heat generated by the IR LEDs 452 is transferredthrough the PCBA 456 to the thermally conductive sheet 464 viaconduction due to direct contact between the PCBA 456 and the thermallyconductive sheet 464. Heat is transferred away from the thermallyconductive sheet 464 into the surrounding air via convection and/or intoone or more other abutting components via conduction. In certainembodiments, as described below, a rechargeable battery may bepositioned adjacent the second portion 468 of the thermally conductivesheet 464, and heat may be transferred from the thermally conductivesheet 464 to the battery.

The thermally conductive sheet 464 preferably comprises a materialhaving high thermal conductivity, such as a metal foil. The metal foilmay comprise copper, for example, or an alloy containing a highpercentage of copper. The metal foil may directly abut either or both ofthe PCBA 456 and the heatsink 458. Thermally conductive films,adhesives, and/or thermal grease may be provided at the interfacebetween the thermally conductive sheet 464 and the PCBA 456 and/or atthe interface between the thermally conductive sheet 464 and theheatsink 458 to reduce thermal resistance at the interface(s).

Because the thermally conductive sheet 464 comprises a material havinghigh thermal conductivity, heat from the PCBA 456 is transferred throughthe thermally conductive sheet 464 to the heatsink 458. However, heatfrom the PCBA 456 is also transferred via conduction through the firstportion 466 of the thermally conductive sheet 464, which is sandwichedbetween the PCBA 456 and the heatsink 458, to the second portion 468 ofthe thermally conductive sheet 464. As described above, the secondportion 468 of the thermally conductive sheet 464 extends from the PCBA456 and the heatsink 458 and increases the effective surface area of theheatsink 458. In certain embodiments, the second portion 468 of thethermally conductive sheet 464 may have a surface area at least equalto, if not larger than, the surface area of the heatsink 458. The secondportion 468 thus not only greatly increases the effective surface areaof the heatsink 458, but also provides a large surface area for heattransfer to another component of an electronic device, such as arechargeable battery.

Many electronic devices are powered by lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeablebatteries. Cold temperatures cause several negative performance issuesfor Li-ion batteries, such as reduced energy capacity, increasedinternal resistance, reduced ability to charge without damage, andreduced ability to supply load current. Thus, it would be advantageousto provide an energy efficient technique for warming the rechargeablebattery in battery-powered electronic devices, particularly electronicdevices for outdoor applications, such as A/V recording andcommunication devices. The present embodiments provide these advantagesby harnessing the heat produced by the IR illuminator 450 to provideheat to the rechargeable battery. Since the IR illuminator 450 producesheat as a by-product of its normal operation, the present embodimentsadvantageously warm the rechargeable battery without consuming anyadditional electrical power beyond that already required to power thedevice. The present embodiments further provide a synergy based on thecoincidence between the time of day, e.g. at night, when the IRilluminator 450 is needed to provide illumination in low-lightconditions and the time of day when the ambient temperature is typicallylower and the battery, therefore, is most likely to need a source ofwarmth. The present embodiments are applicable to electronic devicesthat are primarily powered, or solely powered, by one or morerechargeable batteries. The present embodiments are also applicable toelectronic devices that are primarily powered by AC mains and that useone or more rechargeable batteries for supplemental power and/or topower specific components of the device.

With reference to FIG. 16, the PCBA 456, the heatsink 458, and thethermally conductive sheet 464 are illustrated within a housing 470 ofan electronic device. The electronic device may comprise the videodoorbell 130 described above, or any other A/V recording andcommunication device (e.g., a security camera), or any other electronicdevice having a PCB and a rechargeable battery. The PCBA 456 and/or theheatsink 458 may be secured to the housing 470 with fasteners,adhesives, or in any other suitable fashion. The second portion 468 ofthe thermally conductive sheet 464 extends from the PCBA 456 and theheatsink 458 and provides a surface for transferring heat to arechargeable battery 472, as shown in FIG. 17.

In certain embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 17, the rechargeablebattery 472 may be in direct contact with the second portion 468 of thethermally conductive sheet 464 along substantially an entire surface ofthe rechargeable battery 472 (e.g. the side surface of the rechargeablebattery opposite the viewer in FIG. 17). This configuration provides arelatively large interface for conductive heat transfer from the secondportion 468 of the thermally conductive sheet 464 to the rechargeablebattery 472. Thermally conductive films, adhesives, and/or thermalgrease may be provided at the interface between the thermally conductivesheet 464 and the battery 472 to reduce thermal resistance at theinterface. In alternative embodiments, the thermally conductive sheet464 may wrap around one or more additional surfaces of the rechargeablebattery 472 to provide an even larger interface for conductive heattransfer from the thermally conductive sheet 464 to the rechargeablebattery 472. For example, the thermally conductive sheet 464 may wraparound the entirety of the rechargeable battery 472. In otherembodiments, the thermally conductive sheet 464 may contact therechargeable battery 472 along only a portion of one surface of therechargeable battery 472, and in still other embodiments the thermallyconductive sheet 464 may have no direct contact with the rechargeablebattery 472. In such embodiments, heat transfer from the thermallyconductive sheet 464 to the rechargeable battery 472 may occur primarilythrough convection across an intervening fluid medium, such as air.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 17 further comprises an electricallypowered battery heater 474 abutting a near side of the rechargeablebattery 472 (on the side opposite the thermally conductive sheet 464).The present embodiments of the thermally conductive sheet 464 may beused with or without the electrically powered battery heater 474. Inembodiments including both the thermally conductive sheet 464 and anelectrically powered battery heater 474, the thermally conductive sheet464 and the electrically powered battery heater 474 may be positioned onopposite sides of the rechargeable battery 472 as shown in FIG. 17and/or on adjacent sides of the rechargeable battery 472. Theelectrically powered battery heater 474 may comprise, for example, anelectrically resistive heater that generates heat when electricalcurrent passes through it.

In some embodiments, the rechargeable battery 472 may include athermally sensitive resistor (“thermistor”). Li-ion batteries, forexample, typically include a thermistor. In the present embodiments, thethermistor may be operatively connected to the system processor (e.g.,the processor 160) so that the battery's temperature can be used as aninput into a control process for the IR illuminator 450. For example,ambient cold temperatures typically occur at night, which is also whenthe IR illuminator 450 is active. In order to adaptively control theamount of heat supplied to the battery 472 through the thermallyconductive sheet 464, the amount of power supplied to the IR LEDs 452and/or a time duration of the power delivered to the IR illuminator 450can be controlled (e.g., by the processor 160) based on the measuredtemperature of the battery 472. For example, when additional heatsupplied to the battery 472 would be advantageous, the amount of powersupplied to the IR LEDs 452 and/or the time duration of power deliveredto the IR LEDs 452 can be increased (e.g., by the processor 160).Increasing the amount and/or duration of power supplied to the IR LEDs452 provides advantages, including improving the imaging of distantobjects under low ambient light conditions. In some embodiments, thethermistor may provide a signal to the system processor (e.g., theprocessor 160) in the form of a voltage (or any other type of signal),and the system processor interprets the actual temperature of thebattery 472 based on the received signal from the thermistor. Inalternative embodiments, another type of device (other than athermistor) may be used to monitor the temperature of the battery 472.For example, in some embodiments, a battery pack includes a fuel gaugeIC for measuring and indicating the battery's temperature.

In some of the present embodiments, when the monitored temperature ofthe battery 472 falls below a threshold temperature, additional powermay be provided to the IR LEDs 452 to raise the temperature of thebattery 472 (e.g., to a temperature above the threshold temperature). Insome of the present embodiments, the source of power provided to the IRLEDs 452 for generating additional heat may be different from therechargeable battery 472. In one aspect of the present embodiments, anAC power supply, such as the AC mains 134 (FIG. 3), may provide theadditional power to the IR LEDs 452.

As described above, the present embodiments advantageously provide acombined heatsink and battery heater in which a rechargeable battery isthermally coupled to an IR illuminator through a thermally conductivesheet such that heat dissipation of the IR illuminator acts as a thermalsource for warming the rechargeable battery. The present embodiments areparticularly advantageous for below-freezing or near-freezing ambientconditions, which typically occur at night, which is also the time ofday when the IR illuminator is used for “night vision.” By using theheat generated by the IR illuminator to warm the rechargeable battery,the present embodiments advantageously provide a battery heaterrequiring no additional electrical power beyond that needed to power theIR illuminator. The present embodiments further advantageously enablethe IR illuminator to run cooler for the given power input (compared towhat the operating temperature would be at the given power input in theabsence of the present embodiments), or run at higher power for a giventemperature rise, while at the same time providing heat to the batteryto improve the battery's performance characteristics. The presentembodiments may increase the power input to and/or the illuminationprovided by the IR illuminator by more than 50%. Some of the presentembodiments may increase IR illumination to almost 100% in very coldweather, such as when TA is −20° C. Some of the present embodiments mayalso increase IR illumination to almost 100% at TA=+50° C.

FIG. 18 is a functional block diagram of a client device 800 on whichthe present embodiments may be implemented according to various aspectsof the present disclosure. The user's client device 114 described withreference to FIG. 1 may include some or all of the components and/orfunctionality of the client device 800. The client device 800 maycomprise, for example, a smartphone.

With reference to FIG. 18, the client device 800 includes a processor802, a memory 804, a user interface 806, a communication module 808, anda dataport 810. These components are communicatively coupled together byan interconnect bus 812. The processor 802 may include any processorused in smartphones and/or portable computing devices, such as an ARMprocessor (a processor based on the RISC (reduced instruction setcomputer) architecture developed by Advanced RISC Machines (ARM).). Insome embodiments, the processor 802 may include one or more otherprocessors, such as one or more conventional microprocessors, and/or oneor more supplementary co-processors, such as math co-processors.

The memory 804 may include both operating memory, such as random accessmemory (RAM), as well as data storage, such as read-only memory (ROM),hard drives, flash memory, or any other suitable memory/storage element.The memory 804 may include removable memory elements, such as aCompactFlash card, a MultiMediaCard (MMC), and/or a Secure Digital (SD)card. In some embodiments, the memory 804 may comprise a combination ofmagnetic, optical, and/or semiconductor memory, and may include, forexample, RAM, ROM, flash drive, and/or a hard disk or drive. Theprocessor 802 and the memory 804 each may be, for example, locatedentirely within a single device, or may be connected to each other by acommunication medium, such as a USB port, a serial port cable, a coaxialcable, an Ethernet-type cable, a telephone line, a radio frequencytransceiver, or other similar wireless or wired medium or combination ofthe foregoing. For example, the processor 802 may be connected to thememory 804 via the dataport 810.

The user interface 806 may include any user interface or presentationelements suitable for a smartphone and/or a portable computing device,such as a keypad, a display screen, a touchscreen, a microphone, and aspeaker. The communication module 808 is configured to handlecommunication links between the client device 800 and other, externaldevices or receivers, and to route incoming/outgoing data appropriately.For example, inbound data from the dataport 810 may be routed throughthe communication module 808 before being directed to the processor 802,and outbound data from the processor 802 may be routed through thecommunication module 808 before being directed to the dataport 810. Thecommunication module 808 may include one or more transceiver modulescapable of transmitting and receiving data, and using, for example, oneor more protocols and/or technologies, such as GSM, UMTS (3GSM), IS-95(CDMA one), IS-2000 (CDMA 2000), LTE, FDMA, TDMA, W-CDMA, CDMA, OFDMA,Wi-Fi, WiMAX, or any other protocol and/or technology.

The dataport 810 may be any type of connector used for physicallyinterfacing with a smartphone and/or a portable computing device, suchas a mini-USB port or an IPHONE®/IPOD® 30-pin connector or LIGHTNING®connector. In other embodiments, the dataport 810 may include multiplecommunication channels for simultaneous communication with, for example,other processors, servers, and/or client terminals.

The memory 804 may store instructions for communicating with othersystems, such as a computer. The memory 804 may store, for example, aprogram (e.g., computer program code) adapted to direct the processor802 in accordance with the present embodiments. The instructions alsomay include program elements, such as an operating system. Whileexecution of sequences of instructions in the program causes theprocessor 802 to perform the process steps described herein, hard-wiredcircuitry may be used in place of, or in combination with,software/firmware instructions for implementation of the processes ofthe present embodiments. Thus, the present embodiments are not limitedto any specific combination of hardware and software.

FIG. 19 is a functional block diagram of a general-purpose computingsystem on which the present embodiments may be implemented according tovarious aspects of the present disclosure. The computer system 900 maybe embodied in at least one of a personal computer (also referred to asa desktop computer) 900A, a portable computer (also referred to as alaptop or notebook computer) 900B, and/or a server 900C. A server is acomputer program and/or a machine that waits for requests from othermachines or software (clients) and responds to them. A server typicallyprocesses data. The purpose of a server is to share data and/or hardwareand/or software resources among clients. This architecture is called theclient-server model. The clients may run on the same computer or mayconnect to the server over a network. Examples of computing serversinclude database servers, file servers, mail servers, print servers, webservers, game servers, and application servers. The term server may beconstrued broadly to include any computerized process that shares aresource to one or more client processes.

The computer system 900 may execute at least some of the operationsdescribed above. The computer system 900 may include at least oneprocessor 910, memory 920, at least one storage device 930, andinput/output (I/O) devices 940. Some or all of the components 910, 920,930, 940 may be interconnected via a system bus 950. The processor 910may be single- or multi-threaded and may have one or more cores. Theprocessor 910 may execute instructions, such as those stored in thememory 920 and/or in the storage device 930. Information may be receivedand output using one or more I/O devices 940.

The memory 920 may store information, and may be a computer-readablemedium, such as volatile or non-volatile memory. The storage device(s)930 may provide storage for the system 900, and may be acomputer-readable medium. In various aspects, the storage device(s) 930may be a flash memory device, a hard disk device, an optical diskdevice, a tape device, or any other type of storage device.

The I/O devices 940 may provide input/output operations for the system900. The I/O devices 940 may include a keyboard, a pointing device,and/or a microphone. The I/O devices 940 may further include a displayunit for displaying graphical user interfaces, a speaker, and/or aprinter. External data may be stored in one or more accessible externaldatabases 960.

The features of the present embodiments described herein may beimplemented in digital electronic circuitry, and/or in computerhardware, firmware, software, and/or in combinations thereof. Featuresof the present embodiments may be implemented in a computer programproduct tangibly embodied in an information carrier, such as amachine-readable storage device, and/or in a propagated signal, forexecution by a programmable processor. Embodiments of the present methodsteps may be performed by a programmable processor executing a programof instructions to perform functions of the described implementations byoperating on input data and generating output.

The features of the present embodiments described herein may beimplemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on aprogrammable system including at least one programmable processorcoupled to receive data and/or instructions from, and to transmit dataand/or instructions to, a data storage system, at least one inputdevice, and at least one output device. A computer program may include aset of instructions that may be used, directly or indirectly, in acomputer to perform a certain activity or bring about a certain result.A computer program may be written in any form of programming language,including compiled or interpreted languages, and it may be deployed inany form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component,subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment.

Suitable processors for the execution of a program of instructions mayinclude, for example, both general and special purpose processors,and/or the sole processor or one of multiple processors of any kind ofcomputer. Generally, a processor may receive instructions and/or datafrom a read only memory (ROM), or a random access memory (RAM), or both.Such a computer may include a processor for executing instructions andone or more memories for storing instructions and/or data.

Generally, a computer may also include, or be operatively coupled tocommunicate with, one or more mass storage devices for storing datafiles. Such devices include magnetic disks, such as internal hard disksand/or removable disks, magneto-optical disks, and/or optical disks.Storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer programinstructions and/or data may include all forms of non-volatile memory,including for example semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM,EEPROM, and flash memory devices, magnetic disks such as internal harddisks and removable disks, magneto-optical disks, and CD-ROM and DVD-ROMdisks. The processor and the memory may be supplemented by, orincorporated in, one or more ASICs (application-specific integratedcircuits).

To provide for interaction with a user, the features of the presentembodiments may be implemented on a computer having a display device,such as an LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displayinginformation to the user. The computer may further include a keyboard, apointing device, such as a mouse or a trackball, and/or a touchscreen bywhich the user may provide input to the computer.

The features of the present embodiments may be implemented in a computersystem that includes a back-end component, such as a data server, and/orthat includes a middleware component, such as an application server oran Internet server, and/or that includes a front-end component, such asa client computer having a graphical user interface (GUI) and/or anInternet browser, or any combination of these. The components of thesystem may be connected by any form or medium of digital datacommunication, such as a communication network. Examples ofcommunication networks may include, for example, a LAN (local areanetwork), a WAN (wide area network), and/or the computers and networksforming the Internet.

The computer system may include clients and servers. A client and servermay be remote from each other and interact through a network, such asthose described herein. The relationship of client and server may ariseby virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers andhaving a client-server relationship to each other.

In a first aspect, a method for managing a temperature of a rechargeablebattery of an electronic device, the method comprising thermallycoupling a heat-generating component of the electronic device to therechargeable battery using a thermally conductive sheet, wherein thethermally conductive sheet transfers waste heat generated by theheat-generating component to the rechargeable battery to raise thetemperature of the rechargeable battery.

In an embodiment of the first aspect, the temperature of therechargeable battery is raised from a first temperature below, or equalto, a threshold temperature to a second temperature above the thresholdtemperature.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the heat-generating componentcomprises at least one infrared (IR) illuminator coupled to a printedcircuit board (PCB).

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the at least one IRilluminator comprises an IR light-emitting diode (LED).

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the at least one IRilluminator is coupled to a first surface of the PCB, and a firstportion of the thermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to asecond surface of the PCB.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, a second portion of thethermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to the rechargeablebattery.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the first portion of thethermally conductive sheet is also coupled to a heatsink that is alsocoupled to the second surface of the PCB.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the first portion of thethermally conductive sheet is sandwiched between the second surface ofthe PCB and the heatsink.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the thermally conductivesheet comprises one of copper and a copper alloy.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the rechargeable batterycomprises a lithium-ion battery.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the electronic devicecomprises an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the electronic devicecomprises an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the A/V recording andcommunication device comprises one of a doorbell and a security camera.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, a first portion of thethermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to the heat-generatingcomponent by either proximity or direct contact, and a second portion ofthe thermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to the rechargeablebattery by either proximity or direct contact.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the thermally conductivesheet is coupled to a first surface of the rechargeable battery, and aresistive battery heater is coupled to a second surface of therechargeable battery.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the resistive battery heaterand the thermally conductive sheet both provide heat to the rechargeablebattery when the temperature of the rechargeable battery is below athreshold temperature.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the heat-generatingelectrical component comprises at least one illuminator coupled to aprinted circuit board (PCB), the method further comprising receiving, ata processor of the A/V recording and communication device, a signalindicative of the temperature of the rechargeable battery; determining,by the processor, that the temperature of the rechargeable battery isbelow a threshold temperature even when the heat is being transferredfrom the at least one illuminator to the rechargeable battery; andincreasing an amount of electrical power provided to the at least oneilluminator so that more heat is transferred from the at least oneilluminator to the rechargeable battery.

Another embodiment of the first aspect further increases a time durationof the electrical power delivered to the at least one illuminator toproduce more heat to be transferred to the rechargeable battery.

In another embodiment of the first aspect, the electrical power isprovided to the at least one illuminator by an alternating current (AC)power supply.

In a second aspect, an audio/video (A/V) recording and communicationdevice is provided, the device comprising a camera, a printed circuitboard (PCB); one or more infrared (IR) illuminators coupled to a firstsurface of the PCB and configured to illuminate a field of view of thecamera with IR light; a thermally conductive sheet having a firstportion coupled to a second surface of the PCB and a second portionextending from the PCB; and a rechargeable battery thermally coupled tothe one or more IR illuminators through the thermally conductive sheetsuch that heat dissipation of the one or more IR illuminators warms therechargeable battery.

An embodiment of the second aspect further comprises a heatsink coupledto the second surface of the PCB, wherein the thermally conductive sheetis sandwiched between the PCB and the heatsink.

In another embodiment of the second aspect, the thermally conductivesheet is thermally coupled to the rechargeable battery by proximityand/or direct contact.

In another embodiment of the second aspect, the thermally conductivesheet comprises copper or a copper alloy.

In another embodiment of the second aspect, the one or more IRilluminators comprises at least one IR light-emitting diode (LED).

In another embodiment of the second aspect, the rechargeable batterycomprises a lithium-ion battery.

Another embodiment of the second aspect further comprises a processor,wherein the processor is configured to monitor the temperature of therechargeable battery and to control an amount of electrical power and/ora time duration of the electrical power delivered to the set of IRilluminators.

Another embodiment of the second aspect further comprises a resistivebattery heater contacting the rechargeable battery.

In another embodiment of the second aspect, the resistive battery heateris located on a side of the rechargeable battery opposite the thermallyconductive sheet.

In another embodiment of the second aspect, a surface area of the secondportion of the thermally conductive sheet is at least as large as asurface area of the heatsink.

In another embodiment of the second aspect, the PCB has a metal core.

In another embodiment of the second aspect, the A/V recording andcommunication device comprises one of a doorbell and a security camera.

In a third aspect, a method for managing a temperature of a rechargeablebattery of an electronic device is provided, the method comprising:thermally coupling a heat-generating component of the electronic deviceto the rechargeable battery using a thermally conductive sheet thattransfers waste heat generated by the heat-generating component to therechargeable battery to raise the temperature of the rechargeablebattery.

In an embodiment of the third aspect, the temperature of therechargeable battery is raised from a first temperature below, or equalto, a threshold temperature to a second temperature above the thresholdtemperature.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the heat-generating componentcomprises at least one infrared (IR) illuminator coupled to a printedcircuit board (PCB).

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the at least one IRilluminator comprises an IR light-emitting diode (LED).

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the at least one IRilluminator is coupled to a first surface of the PCB, and wherein afirst portion of the thermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled toa second surface of the PCB.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, a second portion of thethermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to the rechargeablebattery.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the first portion of thethermally conductive sheet is also coupled to a heatsink that is alsocoupled to the second surface of the PCB.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the first portion of thethermally conductive sheet is disposed between the second surface of thePCB and the heatsink.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the thermally conductivesheet comprises one of copper and a copper alloy.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the electronic devicecomprises an audio/video recording and communication device (A/Vdevice).

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the A/V device comprises oneof a doorbell and a security camera.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, a first portion of thethermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to the heat-generatingcomponent by proximity through convection through air.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, a first portion of thethermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to the heat-generatingcomponent by direct contact.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, a second portion of thethermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to the rechargeablebattery by proximity through convection through air.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, a second portion of thethermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to the rechargeablebattery by direct contact.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the thermally conductivesheet is coupled to a first surface of the rechargeable battery, andwherein a resistive battery heater is coupled to a second surface of therechargeable battery.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the resistive battery heaterand the thermally conductive sheet both provide heat to the rechargeablebattery when the temperature of the rechargeable battery is below athreshold temperature.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the heat-generating componentcomprises at least one illuminator coupled to a printed circuit board(PCB), the method further comprising: receiving, at a processor of theelectronic device, a signal indicative of the temperature of therechargeable battery; determining, by the processor, that thetemperature of the rechargeable battery is below a threshold temperatureeven when the heat is being transferred from the at least oneilluminator to the rechargeable battery; and increasing an amount ofelectrical power provided to the at least one illuminator so that moreheat is transferred from the at least one illuminator to therechargeable battery.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the method further comprisesincreasing a time duration of the electrical power delivered to the atleast one illuminator to produce more heat to be transferred to therechargeable battery.

In another embodiment of the third aspect, the electrical power isprovided to the at least one illuminator by an alternating current (AC)power supply.

The above description presents the best mode contemplated for carryingout the present embodiments, and of the manner and process of practicingthem, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable anyperson skilled in the art to which they pertain to practice theseembodiments. The present embodiments are, however, susceptible tomodifications and alternate constructions from those discussed abovethat are fully equivalent. Consequently, the present invention is notlimited to the particular embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, thepresent invention covers all modifications and alternate constructionscoming within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Forexample, the steps in the processes described herein need not beperformed in the same order as they have been presented, and may beperformed in any order(s). Further, steps that have been presented asbeing performed separately may in alternative embodiments be performedconcurrently. Likewise, steps that have been presented as beingperformed concurrently may in alternative embodiments be performedseparately.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for managing a temperature of arechargeable battery of an electronic device, the method comprising:thermally coupling a heat-generating component of the electronic deviceto the rechargeable battery using a thermally conductive sheet thattransfers waste heat generated by the heat-generating component to therechargeable battery to raise the temperature of the rechargeablebattery.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature of therechargeable battery is raised from a first temperature below, or equalto, a threshold temperature to a second temperature above the thresholdtemperature.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat-generatingcomponent comprises at least one infrared (IR) illuminator coupled to aprinted circuit board (PCB).
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the atleast one IR illuminator comprises an IR light-emitting diode (LED). 5.The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one IR illuminator iscoupled to a first surface of the PCB, and wherein a first portion ofthe thermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to a second surfaceof the PCB.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein a second portion of thethermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to the rechargeablebattery.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first portion of thethermally conductive sheet is also coupled to a heatsink that is alsocoupled to the second surface of the PCB.
 8. The method of claim 7,wherein the first portion of the thermally conductive sheet is disposedbetween the second surface of the PCB and the heatsink.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the thermally conductive sheet comprises one of copperand a copper alloy.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronicdevice comprises an audio/video recording and communication device (A/Vdevice).
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the A/V device comprisesone of a doorbell and a security camera.
 12. The method of claim 1,wherein a first portion of the thermally conductive sheet is thermallycoupled to the heat-generating component by proximity through convectionthrough air.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein a first portion of thethermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to the heat-generatingcomponent by direct contact.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein a secondportion of the thermally conductive sheet is thermally coupled to therechargeable battery by proximity through convection through air. 15.The method of claim 1, wherein a second portion of the thermallyconductive sheet is thermally coupled to the rechargeable battery bydirect contact.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermallyconductive sheet is coupled to a first surface of the rechargeablebattery, and wherein a resistive battery heater is coupled to a secondsurface of the rechargeable battery.
 17. The method of claim 16, whereinthe resistive battery heater and the thermally conductive sheet bothprovide heat to the rechargeable battery when the temperature of therechargeable battery is below a threshold temperature.
 18. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the heat-generating component comprises at least oneilluminator coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB), the method furthercomprising: receiving, at a processor of the electronic device, a signalindicative of the temperature of the rechargeable battery; determining,by the processor, that the temperature of the rechargeable battery isbelow a threshold temperature even when the heat is being transferredfrom the at least one illuminator to the rechargeable battery; andincreasing an amount of electrical power provided to the at least oneilluminator so that more heat is transferred from the at least oneilluminator to the rechargeable battery.
 19. The method of claim 18,further comprising increasing a time duration of the electrical powerdelivered to the at least one illuminator to produce more heat to betransferred to the rechargeable battery.
 20. The method of claim 18,wherein the electrical power is provided to the at least one illuminatorby an alternating current (AC) power supply.